Under the changes, new SFI applicants will only be able to put 25 per cent of their land into six SFI actions that take land out of direct food production

Drew Bailey says NFYFC is a place for everyone regardless of their background, sexuality or ethnicity

The Efra Committee have called on the Government to place soil health on the 'same footing' as water and air quality within Government policy

He replaces Lesley Griffiths who is now cabinet secretary for culture and social justice

The UFU said they remain determined to ensure none of the 'barbaric proposals' come to pass and will continue to 'exhaust every avenue to safeguard the future of NI's agri industry'

Industry issues cautious welcome to new Minister but warns SFS must be top of the agenda

CLA senior land use policy adviser Cameron Hughes said: "CLA members I speak to are often surprised at the breadth of options available through the Capital Grants scheme."

Savills senior woodland consultant Luke Hemmings said there were many landowners who were keen to increase their carbon storage and habitat potential of their land, but the ‘approval process' for planting new woodland was an issue

The increase in funding for farm productivity from 40 to 50 per cent, on top of the extra money available for solar panels, means the Improving Productivity Grant is likely to be even more popular among farmers this time around

Industry figures said if the Government want to protect food production, the best way to do that was to ensure Sustainable Farming Incentive applicants had to fill in an ‘active farming test'